I Heard It Screaming out Your Name
by slippery hook
Summary: Dick Grayson is secretly a top-wanted criminal. He has been hiding his other identity away from childhood friend Barbara Gordon for as long as he can remember. On the other side, Barbara is sick being left out of her best friend's life and feels like she deserves to know better. What happens when she does find out about the real Dick? AU
1. I Let It Fall

**I Heard It Screaming out Your Name**

**Chapter 1: ****I Let It Fall**

slippery hook

* * *

A tap on the window was all she needed to know he's okay.

"Okay" wasn't exactly her first choice of word to describe his condition every time he showed up in her house full of bruises and scars. Yet, that's not even the worst case scenarios. There were times where he'd go limping from a broken leg or suffered a minor concussion after showing up with some serious injuries. But despite all that, Barbara Gordon would smile. The current circumstances taught her to be thankful of even the tiniest details; and seeing him back alive and in one piece was by far more than she could ever bargain for.

Barbara knew whatever he did must've been awfully wrong and she shouldn't be covering him the way she always did each time he's away. It wasn't like her fault though. She was just doing her job as his best friend by protecting him. Besides, Barbara was sure as hell he'd do the same thing if it was the other way around without any reconsideration or so. That's what friends do; they helped each other.

Barbara just wished he would tell her the truth behind this.

A lot of things were crossing on Barbara's mind as she made her way towards the source of the sound. Her feelings were mixed up. She's excited to see her best friend after his long mysterious disappearance, but she's also worried of how bad his wounds could possibly be at the same time.

"Dick," Barbara began slowly while she tried her best to steady herself and get a firm grip of the curtain. He laughed. "Gosh Babs, what gave it away? I was careful enough to note the new plant you bought to make sure not to trip on it just like the last time…"

"You should come by more often, Dick. I bought that plant a month ago."

And she pushed the curtain just enough to reveal a good looking man cracking a charming smile. Barbara stopped and studied him for a moment. She couldn't believe her eyes. Not even a single scratch lied on him. Earlier, Barbara had braced herself for the worst. She hadn't expected such a possibility.

And from her experience, unexpected things only meant one thing: trouble.

"You're okay," she started. The twist of event really got her thinking. "How come? Something's definitely wrong, and you better tell me Grayson or else I'm never letting you in again."

She wasn't about to give herself any false hopes. Although she hated to admit it, there's a part somewhere deep inside of Barbara that screamed of relieve. She was trying her best to restrain herself from falling deeper into that part.

"You know, normally people will at least be delighted if the person they haven't seen for a long time suddenly comes back perfectly unharmed…"

Barbara crossed her arms. "Grayson!"

"Okay, okay! I ended it Babs." Dick sounded sincere, Barbara noted. He was just avoiding eye contact with her. "Once and for all."

* * *

"Listen Babs, sorry to interrupt you admiring me, but it's getting really cold out here. Plus, I'm sure we both can agree on your dad finding out about me here is the last thing we need," said Dick with such an ease. "May I?"

Barbara was stunned after hearing what he said earlier. She wanted to believe him. Badly. She wanted to let herself off guard for a little while. To see what would the world come to be when she wasn't worrying about Dick. To let go.

Growing up alongside the hyper Dick Grayson, Barbara found many people telling her to be less of a control freak and more of a Grayson. She begged to differ, though. Barbara thought one of them should be the rational one. Look where it had gotten her. Nothing; whereas Dick was the fun guy everyone wanted to be around with.

Barbara never cared what everyone might think of her. She was just a little of sick of them telling the exact same thing. Like anybody else, Barbara had a breaking point too. Their words influenced her up to the point where she had spent these past few years second guessing herself if her way had been right all along. Enough was enough.

From the very beginning, she always had problems trusting other people. Barbara blamed her dad's job and the people around her with their rude comments of her "perfectionist" behavior on that one. However, if she couldn't trust her own closest friend, Barbara figured, she might as well give up on ever trusting people again.

Barbara took a deep breath and exhaled.

"You grin like an idiot, Dick."

* * *

"So," said Dick after some time. Barbara had opened her window and let him in, of course not before she smacked him on the head first. "What gave it away, Babs? It could've been anyone, really."

"Well, for starters, I'm sure no well-mannered man comes to a girl house through her second floor bedroom window this late at night." Barbara stopped before she added "and you really need to be more aware of your tapping habit. You do that whenever you're anxious or bored."

For a moment, her words hit Dick. He was feeling a bit anxious back then, did he? Was he really that thrilled of the idea up to the point where he got nervous?

"You're tapping again Dick," said Barbara without taking a glance at him.

"And you know me so well," replied Dick with a chuckle. "Or have you been paying extra attention to me lately?"

"You wish." Barbara rolled her eyes. Dick could be so immature and childish sometimes. She smiled nevertheless. That's what made him Dick after all. "You might want to do something about it; it gets really annoying."

A long silence. And they both laughed. Hard. Barbara honestly couldn't remember the last time she had laughed this hard. Dick always succeeded on bringing the better side of her.

Dick was the one to bring out the more serious topic afterwards. "How's school?" Dick asked as he laid down on Barbara's bed while she was doing her homework. He tossed around some pillows to make himself more comfortable.

Barbara didn't reply straight away. She wasn't sure what to say. It was miserable spending those days at school without her best friend by her side. At the same time, she didn't want to burden him with all the guilt.

"It's okay," lied Barbara. She kept her eyes casted down on her homework. "Don't worry, you didn't miss much. Except for Bette's birthday. She was quite upset when I told her you're not coming…"

Another long pause. Dick could tell she's lying; Barbara wasn't an expert in these sorts of stuff. He's still thinking how to react when a car drove pulled into the sidewalk in front of her house. Commissioner Gordon. Normally, the Commissioner wouldn't leave his daughter alone until late at night. Once every few weeks when a new case was open though, he had a slight tendency of getting too drown in his work and forget about time.

"Your dad's here," said Dick. Upon hearing that, Barbara took a peek from the window for herself. "I better get going then. I'll tell Bette I'm sorry tomorrow at school."

He waited for the Commissioner to unlock the door and enter the house.

"And Babs?"

Barbara stared at him, puzzled. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry for causing you troubles. I can't tell you what it is, but I promise you, it's over." Barbara watched as Dick ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He was careful of choosing his words. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Barbara was dying to tell him that it's not the mess he caused; it's the secretive part which troubled her the most. Dick had insisted it's for the best, but she couldn't stand it. Barbara was aware that Dick was only protecting her. And what about him?

The first couple of nights Dick had visited her came with a threat from Barbara. If he's not going to tell her what he was dealing, he could forget about visiting her for the rest of his life. Still not a single thing from Dick. Barbara underestimated him. She should've known, out of all people, how stubborn he could get.

Hence she gave up. She never forgave herself, but she was the only Dick counting on. Dick had no one other than her, and she would not let him just die on the streets of Gotham because of her.

Barbara swallowed hard. It's finally over. "See you tomorrow."

She watched Dick as he grinned, obviously relieved she's not mad of him, out of her window and down her house, and disappeared into the darkness.

"And welcome back, Dick."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! The titles are terrible, I get it. They are familiar though, aren't they?**

** Check out my profile anyway for more upcoming projects and... random stuffs!**


	2. You're Not in This Thing Alone

**I Heard It Screaming out Your Name**

**Chapter 2: You're Not in This Thing Alone**

slippery hook

* * *

"_After a huge robbery on Gotham's finest people, no further incidents are being reported. It seems that whoever the culprit is, he or she is very likely to operate based on some sort of pattern. The police forces are working on the case as we speak."_

Commissioner Gordon rubbed his temples as soon as he switched off the TV. He had worked overnight once more trying to figure out the pattern. The police forces had various opinions on the culprit's identity, but they all could agree that there's a big chance he worked inside an organization. It seemed rather impossible for a single person to breakthrough one of Gotham's most secured places without being caught or leaving any trace in the process.

In addition, the Commissioner found other stuffs too. This organization didn't just commit their act on some random person with overflowing money. They only aimed for the corrupted ones.

Beside him, Barbara put down a glass of steaming coffee. She was careful enough to put aside all the newspaper on the table previously. Most of the printed papers were marked with red pen to show the similarities they shared with one another. As Barbara continued to skim through each paper, she saw one headline which stood out the most.

_Gotham's Most Successful Found Their Mansion Burned to Ashes. _The name of the owner was kept secret in order to protect the victim from more harm.

Everyone thought the organization was doing a great job being a Robin Hood and all in the beginning. Unfortunately, they didn't stop there. They kept on going until they were sure that none of their victim was remained.

Barbara turned her head once she heard Commissioner Gordon calling. She knew what his dad had in mind before he said it outwardly. The possible future victims could shut down his team of police forces if the Commissioner didn't handle the case anytime soon. And to accomplish it meant working extra hard with longer hours.

She offered a reassuring smile. "It's okay, daddy. I'll be fine by myself. Don't worry about picking me up after school; I can always get a ride home."

"But we're in a dangerous period of time, Barbara."

"Dad, I can take care of myself. I wouldn't win a black belt in karate if I can't even defend myself," reasoned Barbara. Commissioner Gordon had always been like this. He was scared that his work would eventually get mixed up with his personal life. True, the Commissioner would risk his life as a police; it didn't mean risking his family's life in the process.

However, he hated to admit that Barbara did have a good point. He did prepare her well. Commissioner Gordon sighed. Too well. There was no use in arguing with her in the first place; Barbara had a way with reassuring people to believe she's fine.

Commissioner Gordon hoped she truly was.

* * *

Lunch breaks were supposed to be the ideal time to gather up and share stories of their last class. Sadly, Dick was forgetting the tradition. He wasn't really the one to be blamed either. Girls were all over him all the time. It happened whenever he returned from his long tiring "business trip."

Barbara remembered it differently though. He always had time for her no matter how busy he was with them. She earned a special place by his side. Today, however, they didn't even get a chance to catch up with each other and say hi. Only a couple of glances exchanged and smiles.

And if he weren't too busy entertaining those girls at school, he was always at somewhere else; doing whatever matter needed to be done.

Bette Kane cleared her throat in an attempt to bring Barbara back to the reality.

"What do you think of Dick's come back?" Bette asked as she took a bite from her lunch; one that Barbara hadn't had the mood to touch. Instead, she decided to fiddle it around. She stopped once it made her stomach sick.

Barbara bit her lip. "What's there to think about?" she asked back in return. "It's just another business trip, Bette."

"Another business trip," Bette repeated. "Do you know what this means, Barb? It means his future is looking up! That's must've been one of the reasons why girls are so crazy about him suddenly!"

Barbara felt ill. Gotham Academy was full of these girls.

"And as if that alone is not enough," added Bette as she leaned in to whisper. "You can always go with how Dick gets more charming each time he comes back..," Bette proceeded by finishing it with a wink.

Barbara wasn't very fond of the way they talked about Dick. It made her felt like they were rambling about some random popular guy instead of her very own best friend. A guy which she was alien to. And she hated the feeling more than anything else.

Nevertheless, Bette's last words really got her wheels spinning.

It broke Barbara's heart to admit how much had he changed over a month. Overall, Dick was still the same boy he knew years before. Same pretty blue eyes and dark hair. It was the minor details that made the huge difference. Barbara could sense something odd in the way he looked at her last night. His eyes were a mixture of maturity and… other things. Things she didn't acknowledge had existed a month before.

Across the table, Bette was fed up with her friend's lack of presence throughout their conversation.

"Barbara, are you even listening to me anymore?!" Bette snapped her fingers in front of Barbara's face. It worked pretty damn well. "I said if he weren't the most fortunate foster kid around, he sure is now…"

"Bette!"

"Alright, alright! Enough with the foster kid thingy, I get it." Bette completed with a touch of dramatic hand gesture. "Why do you get so defensive when it comes to Dick anyway? He's totally ditching you for the day."

Barbara had no answer. Instead, she found herself starring ahead at the table filled with Dick and his companions. He caught her eyes, and though Barbara looked away instinctively, Dick's stare lingered. He watched her as she tried her best pretending to keep herself busy by listening to Bette while flushing the entire time. For a second there, it felt like there were just the two of them.

And to be honest, Dick didn't think he minded at all.

* * *

The road home was unusually empty. People of Gotham were avoiding to be out there in the open as best as they could once the news aired this morning. Without the street vendors and crowd, it almost felt like living in a ghost town.

Dick still insisted on offering Barbara a ride even though she had turned him down numerous times before; she just didn't want to interrupt any plans Dick had with his other friends. In addition, Barbara was pretty sure Bette wouldn't mind if she tagged along anyway. But despite all that, Dick remained strong and wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Dick?" Barbara called. He was not responding. Dick had fallen asleep. He was restless. Dick hadn't gotten a proper sleep until now. The coffee did help at first, but even the magical caffeine couldn't go as far as healing sore muscles.

Barbara decided to let it slipped and study the boy next to her instead. She just thought now that they finally had some privacy, Dick could really be himself, talk to her, and joke around like they used to. She sighed and given up on her original intention.

Watching Dick slept had become somewhat a mystery to her. Barbara found it weird how someone as energetic as Dick himself could sleep so peacefully. Yet again, Dick had always been a baby right from the start. And Barbara wouldn't have it any other way.

Alfred pulled into a sudden stop as soon as something caught the corner of her eyes, stirring Dick up. It all happened so fast; Barbara didn't have the time to process what she saw. In a flash, it looked like a scar down his neck. Barbara continued to look at Dick with a quizzical expression plastered on her face.

"Babs?" Dick started. He switched into a sitting position, disabling Barbara from conforming her thoughts any further. "Is there something wrong? You seem troubled."

"No, it's just…" Barbara held back. She didn't want to accuse her childhood friend of a matter even she herself wasn't sure of. And Dick was the type of person who'd rather leave her out completely than lie anyway; Barbara knew that altogether very well. So why changed his mind now? "You know what, forget it. I thought I saw something. I've been a little off lately though, so I guess my eyes were only playing tricks on me." Barbara shrugged at the end of her response.

"Are you sure? Is it because of the way things went at school?"

"No Dick, I'm fine." Barbara replied shortly. She didn't want to relive anything from earlier. Barbara changed the subject before Dick could mention more. "And besides, we should be focusing on someone else. Alfred?"

"It's alright, Miss Gordon. Some old technical problems reappeared, but it's fixed now."

As the car began moving again, Barbara expected Dick to drop the whole problem. But he was still and remained unchanged with a worried and slight guilty look on his face. Barbara felt silly at last the moment she came to realization. Nothing was going to break the bond Dick and her shared. She had feared the wrong thing all this long. Dick joined Barbara immediately when he noticed the wholehearted smile growing on her face.

Out of all people losing their best friend today, they weren't one of them.

* * *

_**Italics **_**are for audios and printed texts.**

**The titles are taken from the lyrics of songs which I found suitable for each chapter! The first chapter is Adele's Set Fire to The Rain and this chapter is Cheryl Cole's Fight For This Love c:**

**Oh, looks like someone isn't being completely honest********! **Remember, the first chapter is only a prologue; the real plot starts now...


	3. Bring My Baby Back to Me

**I Heard It Screaming out Your Name**

**Chapter 3: Bring My Baby Back to Me**

slippery hook

* * *

Barbara watched as people came in and out. The young lady was fully aware that she should be home by now; it was getting late. However, even after these long hours of waiting, there was still no sign of a certain Grayson and the seat in front of her remained empty and unoccupied. And Barbara just found it hard to believe that her best friend would bail on her without any reason or so.

The Commissioner daughter checked her phone for the fifth time to make sure she didn't miss any calls or text messages. She knew her best friend very well and how much of a busy man he was, though one short call to keep things updated wouldn't hurt. At least that's what she thought. Because in reality, it looked like Dick had a different opinion.

All Barbara could do was staring blankly ahead at no particular point in the room as she resumed to wait. Dick would make it. He had to. Between his dates with the girls from school and job, they rarely spent time together and hung out anymore. Dick had been nothing but unavailable for the past few days after his comeback. Even during the one time they got to see each other at school was always spent and ended by him being surrounded by the snotty girls 24/7.

Sometimes it was rather hard to take on how Dick could be so busy even after he dropped the whole side job of his; it really brought up all the questions. Barbara trusted him nevertheless. She kept reminding herself that he just needed some time to adjust with his permanent life. There were always some gaps in Dick's packed schedule for their quality time together anyway. Little things such as grabbing lunches or Chinese takeout like now could still be done. It might seem like a minor activity, but it meant a lot for the two.

After a while, instead of the one person she most expected to see, Alfred showed up by the entrance.

"Oh great." Barbara was furious; her cheeks were a shade of faint red and flushed from anger. She had not seen this coming at all. Grayson seemed to have time for everyone but her. And she was the person which had always been there right for him from the start. Barbara was his best friend, and she deserved much better than this. "Look who's too busy to even say he can't make it on his own?"

Alfred didn't move an inch. "Master Richard has a sudden urgent meeting with investors of the company. He wanted me to tell his sorry in person."

"Unbelievable."

Barbara packed up her things and left a few dollars for the bill in a rush. She wanted to get out of this wretched place as soon as she could. People were starring at her pitifully as if she just got dumped by one of the most important person existed in her life. And it only hurt more because it's true.

"Miss Gordon," spoke up Alfred before Barbara could step a foot out. "Master Richard also told me to take you home. He'd like to make sure that you arrive safely there this late at night."

"Well then, if Richard's so worried about me, he should've thought about it right before he made promises which he can't keep and disappeared into thin air," snapped Barbara. "Thank you for the offer, Alfred. Really. But I think I'll be better on my own."

Barbara left the place without looking back. She blamed herself for being so naïve. For putting her hopes high up in the sky. It was time for her to realize that she didn't matter anymore. Dick would've chosen his job, dates, or anything over Barbara at first shot.

Maybe it was time for her to move on.

* * *

Dick didn't mean to lie to his own closest friend; he just wanted her to stop worrying so much and enjoyed their lives for a while. That was one of the reasons why he kept his distance. Dick knew he couldn't pretend to be fine forever. He'd breakdown at some point, and the last person he wanted to see him that way was her.

Juggling between his two personas had never been easy though. He had kept his secret identity away from everyone but himself for as long as he could remember. Including Alfred, which had became some kind of parent figure to him. But the old man proved to be worth considered and more capable than he looked. After getting a few researches done, Alfred had all the patters worked out on his own.

"How was she?" Dick finally asked. He had arrived home not long after Alfred came back. With the help of the butler, his wounds were rinsed and taken care by the time it reached midnight. It still felt odd, however, not having to sneak around late at night into her house. Dick decided he'd miss that the most.

His legal guardian shook his head. "I'm afraid Miss Gordon didn't take it lightly." Alfred continued to prepare tea as Dick crashed into the couch and groaned.

"I never expected her to take it lightly anyway," mumbled Dick. He had a lot to worry about. By tomorrow morning, news of his latest crime would be all over Gotham City. Dick wouldn't call his act a crime though. He was stealing illegal money after all; something that should've never been theirs from the beginning. It was only the right thing to do.

"Thanks again, Alfred." The old man knew it included that time with Barbara in the car. "I could've never gotten away with it this time."

"Master Richard, perhaps it's time to let Miss Gordon know a little truth. I can't always be there to cover up," said Alfred. "Besides, I could never retire in peace before seeing you settled down and married first. And we both it won't happen with just any random girl…"

"Should it be a good thing, then? After all, you don't have to bother with the whole retiring thing now that the option's out of the question." Dick grinned. "Which sounds awfully horrible by the way, if you ask me."

Alfred ignored him. It was Dick's way of avoiding the real topic; he'd joke around all the other matters in the conversation but one. Dick didn't quite understand the reason why either though. This wasn't the first time someone hinted on their possible relationship. He just kept on tossing them aside before the idea really occurred to him. This time, however, it lingered.

"I'll make sure she got home safely," suggested Dick. It was the least he could do to ever redeem his actions from before. "I'll fix this."

* * *

**The lyrics are taken from M2M's Mirror Mirror. I think it suits this chapter very well, since Barbara wants her old best friend back and Dick is beginning to realize what a big jerk he was...**

**And we have some Alfred and Dick's father-son quality time! I think it's a pretty decent way to even out Barbara's bitter part and wrapped the chapter into one hell of a bittersweet kind.**

**Last but not least, keep the reviews coming guys! I need feedback on my writing as much as I can! Do I get too OOC on their characterization? How 'bout Bette in the previous chapter? I mean, I always imagine her as a complete diva. But I could be wrong or you can picture her differently, so...**


	4. And You Let Her Go

**I Heard It Screaming out Your Name**

**Chapter 4: And You Let Her Go  
**

slippery hook

* * *

Barbara tucked in her knees and pulled them underneath her chin. The young lady never liked how things were at night in Gotham. Especially in times like this. Lights out early and all that's left was nothing but a faint sound of serine; indicating polices' late patrol. In a way, it kind of reminded her how lonely she was.

It's not just the atmosphere of her surrounding, really. The feeling had always been there all along. But it was left neglected and buried deep within. However, even the deepest sides could still surface once it reached its breaking point. And apparently, Barbara's climax turned out to be no other than her best friend.

Dick Grayson was one of those few sensitive topics she always found it hard to talk about. In fact, the Commissioner daughter was pretty defensive on certain areas regarding her childhood friend. She hated it whenever people started calling him "another rich playboy". They didn't know him like she did; so what gave them the right to judge his life?

Or at least that's what she thought. Because in real life, there seemed to be an endless sides of Dick which she never knew.

Though her best friend did make an attempt to call in the end, he was a little too late. Where was he, when she needed him the most hours ago? When she almost made a fool of herself, waiting for something that never existed right from the start? He was probably somewhere out there; too busy handling both his job and many girlfriends' never ending demands.

It didn't matter though. Because in the end, Dick Grayson was proven to be happy with the life he had chosen for himself. The least Barbara could do was to be happy for him as well. If he weren't such a jerk to begin with.

_I know you're not answering my calls, Babs._

A short text came in from Dick. He still managed to act natural as if nothing had happened between them and their recent fight was just some small matter.

_I bet you're reading my text but aren't exactly planning on replying it either._

Barbara should've known. Typical Grayson.

_Nice dress, by the way. I'm almost sorry I didn't show up._

On that note, the young lady just remembered she hadn't changed yet. The whole Grayson episode really got the best of her. In fact, Barbara hadn't gotten the proper mood to do pretty much anything afterwards.

_Blue really brings out your eyes._

The latest text arrived in unison with the start of a strangely familiar tapping noise coming from just outside the Commissioner daughter's window. And when the curtain was pulled away, a man was revealed. Standing awkwardly with a dozen of roses in one hand and a box of chocolate in another, Grayson managed to break into a grin.

After years of waiting, Barbara finally got the service she had been looking forward the most; the infamous Grayson service.

* * *

"Dick," said Barbara. She wasn't sure of where to start. "Are you positive you're in the right place? Don't you have to be, I don't know, anywhere else?"

"I'm glad we're finally talking again, Babs." Barbara crossed her arms. He was avoiding the question. "I brought you flowers."

Grayson's actions might be way too cliché and somewhat over the top, but it was working somehow. Barbara wondered if her best friend really went through the same trouble just to win a girl's heart. The thought bothered her.

"I'm not letting you in, Dick."

"I know," said Dick. "I'm only here to make sure that you have arrived home safely."

Barbara hesitated for a moment. "You could've at least called me." The young lady felt unease upon finishing up her latest sentence. It wasn't completely the truth. Barbara didn't care what people might think of her back then; the humiliation was nothing. Her best friend not making any time for her was what really hurt the most.

"But I didn't. And I'm sorry. I guess I just got too caught up with work and–"

"And couldn't spare a few of your valuable seconds to make even a single phone call?" cut Barbara. She had to. "Apparently ditching your best friend is a far better option compared to pretty much everything for you, Richard."

From the corner of her eyes, the Commissioner's daughter could see Grayson watching her closely; a hurt look plastered on his face.

Somehow, Dick had the urge to defend himself.

"Alright Barbara, I forgot." He didn't stop there, unfortunately. Words after words were tumbling out of his mouth; he couldn't control it. "Why do you like to make such big deal out of small matters like this so much? Geez…"

Because maybe, it never were about the earlier event itself.

"Do you honestly think that is simply the reason, Richard?" Barbara said in disbelief. "Have you ever considered anything else like how your lack attempt at making time for your own friend affects me? Or am I officially a stranger now? It sure does feel like it; after all, you wouldn't doubt choosing everything over me, right Richard?"

"You never told me…"

"Really? Well, what difference would it make?" Barbara resisted not to cry. She did not need any sympathy; especially when it came from the same guy that put her in this very condition. "I'll always be the number 2 no matter what anyway."

It hurt, to finally admit the reality. But running away from the truth wouldn't do her any good either; some things were just meant to happen. Sooner or later. Maybe it was the universe way of telling her to carry on.

Neither of them said a word; it took more than a moment to process something like that.

"Barbara, I–"

"I think you need to leave." Barbara said shortly, not even bothering to look him in the eyes. There was only so much she could take. "Dad's going to be home soon, and he can't see me like this."

The young man knew that was his cue. He lingered for a while, but gave up eventually. He left the chocolate and flowers on his way out, as if Barbara needed any more reminder of the day they broke apart.

If only the Commissioner's daughter knew what about to happen next...

Because when one thing ended, another began. And this time, it might bigger than anything she had encountered yet.

* * *

**Lyrics are taken from Passenger's Let Her Go.**

**Nothing says a great story better than the healthy doze of cliffhangers it contains c;**

**And super sorry about the late update; it's holiday and I've been slacking off a lot lately. Plus, this chapter is rather hard to write, to be honest. I've had a major hard time deciding on what goes and not. Let's just hope the next chap be would much easier to deal with, that's where the story sort of peaks after all...**

**Happy new year by the way****! May you all have a wonderful year ahead!**


End file.
